Staples Made My Dumb TV Smart – Apple TV #Giveaway (CAN 12/23)

I Like Technology but…

I like technology. A lot. I like the ways it can make life easier. I like the way it keeps me connected, entertained, informed. But, as much as I like it, I cannot keep up with it. Not because I can’t figure it out but because it is ever changing and and an exceedingly rapid pace. The smart phone you bought last week will be replaced by a bigger (why are cell phones getting bigger now) better model in a month. The display on your brand new tablet will be eclipsed by something even more crisp and colourful in six months. It’s impossible to keep up.

A few years ago we decided to try out Netflix. Without any commitment (I have enough of that already) I signed us up for a free trial month. We thought it was pretty cool. My daughter especially loved it. There is a ton of great kid’s programming. We don’t own a smart TV. We considered buying one but, the reality is we don’t need one. Our old 42 inch LCD works just fine. We have a PS3 that I won several years ago so we were able to make our TV “smart” that way. And it worked ok. But it had some considerable drawbacks. First, the PS3 is noisy. Seriously noisy. If it’s been running for more than an hour you have to crank the volume to drown out the fan. Not only is it annoying but I’m pretty certain it’s not really a good thing either. The second big issue was the PS3 updates. They take FOREVER. We would get the little one settled in to snuggle on the couch and watch a family movie and we would be forced to update – because it always MAKES you do an update. You don’t have a say in the matter. So, 45 minutes later it’s good to go but the kid has moved on. We wanted better.

Who Can Make it Better?

Along with the massive amount of technology products available today comes the massive amount of retailers that sell it. It can be pretty overwhelming to figure out just what to buy and from whom. I tend to be a loyal shopper. If I find a brand or store that comes through for me it will be my first choice when I’m looking for something new. But I’m also a smart shopper so the prices need to be competitive.

I have been a loyal Staples shopper for years. Many years. As an Office Manager I have purchased thousands and thousands of dollars in supplies and technology. Staples has always been my go to source. They have convenient locations, awesome online shopping, friendly and helpful staff and a great price match guarantee.

If you find a lower advertised price on an in-stock, new identical item from an Authorized Canadian dealer, now or within 14 days of your purchase, just show us the price and we will match it.

If our competitor has a bonus offer with an item that we carry, we will match the competitor’s price and provide the identical bonus item where possible. If our competitor offers a free gift card with an item that we carry, we will match the competitor’s price and provide the same valued gift card.

Staples has a pretty big selection of devices to stream media to your TV. I am a HUGE Apple fan. Anything computer or phone related in my house is an Apple. So when we were looking at options to connect our TV to our wireless system the choice was pretty clear. Not only do I trust Apple products to be reliable and superior, but having everything in the house Apple just makes sense. Everything works so well together. So the Apple TV was a perfect fit for our needs.

What can you do with an Apple TV?

Rent from the largest selection of HD movies and buy commercial-free HD TV shows on iTunes

There’s a lot to love here. The Apple TV is tiny. Seriously tiny. It take about less than 1/4 of the space that my old PS3 does. It’s quiet. No more turning up the volume to drown out the fan or worrying that my device is going to burst into flames.

It’s easy to set up and easy to use. It literally took a few minutes, from opening the package, plugging it in and setting it up to get the Apple TV up and running on our TV. It recognized and connected to my wireless network with no problem. I simply had to type in my network password.

Once it’s up and running using it really is a breeze too. It only takes a moment to get a feel for the menu. Everything is very intuitive, even if you are not already an Apple user. The Apple TV comes with a sleek little remote but I was thrilled that I was also able to program it, very easily, to work with our universal remote. That is a huge deal for me. I hate having 50 remotes floating around. I also downloaded the Apple TV remote app on my iPhone and it works flawlessly as well. As long as my phone is connect to the wifi in my house I can control the Apple TV with it. Now you might wonder what the point of that is. I know I did. If you are watching something on your TV you do you need another remote to control it. But actually it does come in handy if you are streaming music from your computer (which is something you CAN do). So you might be in a different room but listening to music through your home entertainment system and if your phone is handy you can control the music. Kind of cool!

I also really love the fact that I can stream my pictures from my iCloud to my TV. My little one things it’s pretty cool to see pictures of herself, or other familiar people and places on the big screen!

I could go on here for quite a while about all of the features and how much I love the Apple TV. But ain’t nobody got time for that! You can read all about it on the Staples website.

Win Your Own Apple TV

Ok I’m pretty stoked to tell you that one lucky Mommy Outside reader is going to win their very own Third Generation Apple TV for the great folks at Staples Canada!

Giveaway is open to Canadian residents(excluding Quebec) age 18 and over. Enter in the Rafflectoper form below.

Good luck!!!

Disclosure: Mommy Outside received a copy of this product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% our own. a Rafflecopter giveaway